• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.652-669
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• 2014

This paper concerns the kinematic characteristics of a coupling device in a deep-seabed mining system. This coupling device connects the buffer system and the flexible pipe. The motion of the buffer system, flexible pipe and mining robot are affected by the coupling device. So the coupling device should be considered as a major factor when this device is designed. Therefore, we find a stable kinematic device, and apply it to the design coupling device through this study. The kinematic characteristics of the coupling device are analyzed by multi-body dynamics simulation method, and finite element method. The dynamic analysis model was built in the commercial software DAFUL. The Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) method is applied to build the deep-seabed environment. Hydrodynamic force and moment are applied in the dynamic model for the FSI method. The loads and deformation of flexible pipe are estimated for analysis results of the kinematic characteristics.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제39권12호
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• pp.1213-1220
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• 2015

망간단괴를 채집하는 심해저 통합 채광시스템은 채광선, 수직양광관, 중간버퍼, 유연관, 채광로봇으로 구성되어 있다. 최근 심해저 통합 채광시스템 연구에서는 생산성을 극대화하기 위한 다수의 채광로봇으로 구성되는 새로운 다중로봇 통합 채광시스템의 개념이 소개되었다. 본 논문에서는 다중로봇 통합 채광시스템 해석의 효율성을 향상시키고, 다중로봇 시스템의 확장이 이하도록 부분시스템 합성방법이 적되었다. 또한 유연 다물체 동역학이 적된 부분구조로 나눔으로써 수직양광관과 유연관의 대변위가 고려되었다. 일반적인 해석방법과 부분시스템 합성방법의 산술 연산 횟수를 비교함으로써 통합 채광시스템의 부분시스템 합성방법의 이론적인 효율성 연구가 수행되었다.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.367-371
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• 2014

In early 1990s, the Korean government has launched a deep-sea research program to secure the stable long-term supply of strategic metallic minerals including Cr, Cu and Ni. Through the pioneering surveys, Korea registered $150,000km^2$ of Mn-nodule field in the Clarion-Clipperton area, the NE equatorial Pacific to the international sea-bed authority (ISA) in 1994. Following the ISA exploration code, the final exclusive exploration area of $75,000km^2$ was assigned in 2002, based on results of eight-year researches of chemico-physical properties of nodules, bottom profiles and sediment properties. Since that time, environmental studies, mining technical developments including robot miner and lifting system and establishment of smelting systems were accompanied with the detailed geophysical studies to decipher the priori mining area until 2009. Major points of the recent Korea Mn-nodule program are deployed on a commercial scale until 2015. In order to meet the goals, we developed a 1/5 scaled robot miner compared to commercial one in 2012 and performed a mining test at the water depth of 1,370 m in 2013. In addition, detailed 25,000 scaled mining maps in the priori area, which can provide operation roots of the miner, will be prepared and an environmental-friendly mining strategy will be pursued based on the environmental impact test and environmental monitoring.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.455-463
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• 2014

This paper presents data from performance tests carried out to assess a manganese nodule crusher. Manganese nodules should be crushed into smaller pieces in order to assure the slurry flow of the lifting system. Both artificial nodules and real manganese nodules are used to evaluate nodule breaking ability of the crusher. The crushing performance of the crusher depends on the flow rate and pressure of the power transmission device. The size of the crushed manganese nodules also depends on the shape of the crushing drum. In this paper, several comparative tests are carried out to evaluate and improve the crushing performance and find the optimal design point of the crusher.

• 한국해양공학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.128-134
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• 2015

Axial vibration analysis is very important for a deep-seabed mining system. In this study, an axial vibration analysis was carried out to estimate the natural frequencies and tensions of the umbilical cable using experimental data obtained from the first pre-pilot mining test. The axial vibrations of the umbilical cable with a pilot mining robot at the bottom end were analytically determined. The range of the added mass coefficients of the pilot mining robot is estimated by comparing the experimental and analytical data. The natural frequencies and maximum tensions are calculated using four estimated added mass coefficients.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.689-702
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• 2019

This paper deals with the verification of the functions about mining robot, which is the system for developing deep seabed resources by applying V&V(verification and validation). In order to overcome water pressure of 500 bar and to travel on soft ground, and to operate in deep sea environment with bad conditions, it is necessary to develop a robot that can satisfy various deepsea conditions. A mining robot has been developed based on simulation based design and Multidisciplinary design optimization. In order to verify the developed robot, lab test and real sea test should be performed for various marine environment conditions. There are too many requirements to consider, such as space, time, cost, personnel, and environment to do performance test. So it is costly and time consuming for developing robot. In order to solve this problems, V&V technique was applied to mining robot. The stages of mining robot design, fabrication and commission were verified.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.73-80
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• 2015

In order to determine the appropriate volume of the a pressure compensator of deep seabed mining robots, this paper reports on an experimental test for oil volume change in an oil-filled box. At the design stage of underwater robots, it is crucial to determine the capacity of the hydraulic compensator which is replenished as much as the contracted oil volume of the robots. A pilot mining robot, MienRo was designed to work under 6,000 m in the deep sea. The hydraulic actuating oil and pressure compensating oil of MineRo may be exposed at a hydrostatic pressure environment of 600 bar. Although the oil can be assumed to be incompressible, its volume is actually changed under high pressure conditions due to air contained in the oil and oil contraction. To determine the capacity of the pressure compensator, the oil contraction rate should be verified through an experimental test using a hyperbaric chamber.

• 한국해양공학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.167-176
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• 2014

This paper proposes an optimum curve driving method for adeep-seabed mining robot(MineRo) in deep-sea soft ground. MineRo was designed as afour-row tracked vehicle. A study on the turning methods for the four-row tracked vehicle was conducted using three case by changing the velocity profile of each track. The configuration of the four-row tracked vehicle and soft ground equation are introduced, along with the dynamics analysis models of MineRo and soft ground, which were constructed using the commercial software DAFUL. Because the purpose of this study was to investigate a driving method on soft ground, the marine environment of the deep sea was not considered.